terrible kisser, if Chloe’s reaction to his kiss was any indication. Most men feared her temper and her guns, he supposed, but she was exactly the kind of woman that appealed to him. Spunky and full of vinegar. Bedding her was bound to give him one helluva ride.
Desperado soon learned that Chloe wasn’t going to let the loss of a barn or Calvin Talbot’s threats stop her from driving her herd from northern Texas to the railhead at Dodge City. The branding continued. A chuck wagon was outfitted and stocked for the drive, which would take from a month to six weeks, barring inclement weather and accidents.
Still determined to stop Chloe from putting her life in danger, Desperado began to explore ways to sabotage the trail drive without endangering lives. Though he was on Talbot’s payroll, he didn’t want to see Chloe hurt.
Two days later a gate was found open on a pen holding cows still needing to be branded, and about a hundred head had wandered off. Naturally Chloe was livid. Work had to be stopped while the cattle were rounded up. Three days after that, all the branding irons had mysteriously disappeared and a run had to be made to town to order new ones from the blacksmith. It took two weeks for replacements to be made.
Desperado grew desperate as the target date to begin the trail drive approached. Nothing seemed to faze Chloe. Most women would be a nervous wreck after a series of “accidents” like those she’d had to endure. Desperado’s admiration for the little spitfire grew by leaps and bounds. And it lasted about as long as it took him to remember that Chloe now claimed the land that should have been his. How could he admire a woman spawned by Norie Sommers? It was almost too much to ask. He could desire her. Want her in his bed even, but that didn’t mean he had to like her. But dammit, that was just what was happening.
Liking the various women he’d bedded had never been a priority for Desperado. He took his pleasure where and when he found the time and thought little about the women whose names and faces he forgot soon afterward. However, there was something about Chloe Sommers that caught his fancy. For one thing she wasn’t like those other women he’d bedded. She was strong, vital and independent…and too damn stubborn for her own good.
The days passed with alarming speed. Little by little the cowboys were coming to trust him. Almost losing his life in that burning barn had made him one of them. With the exception of Rowdy, who still had a chip on his shoulder where Desperado was concerned, the young cowhands had come to respect him. Desperado felt guilty for pulling the wool over their eyes and suspected they would hate him as much as Rowdy did when they learned he’d been paid to sabotage the trail drive.
Desperado had never experienced guilt before and it bothered him. Hell, Chloe felt no guilt for taking land that didn’t belong to her, so why should he feel bad about sabotaging her operation?
Desperado heard someone calling his name and waited up for Cory to join him. Desperado liked the young cowboy. He liked Rusty and Duke and Randy the cook, too. Though he knew forming attachments could be dangerous to a gunslinger, he felt a grudging admiration for these hardworking boys. He made a silent vow to do all he could to protect these youngsters from becoming Talbot’s victims. He didn’t consider saving lives a betrayal of his promise to Talbot. In his long career as a hired gunman Desperado had never deliberately taken a life. He’d scared the hell out of a lot of men; he had that down to a science. But actually shooting someone in cold blood wasn’t his style.
“Miss Chloe wants to see you,” Cory said as he sprinted up to join him.
“Do you know what she wants?”
“She didn’t say. You’ll find her in the chuck wagon, checking supplies.”
“Thanks, Cory.”
“We’re branding the last of the cows today,” Cory said in parting. “We sure could use your help if
Desperado soon learned that Chloe wasn’t going to let the loss of a barn or Calvin Talbot’s threats stop her from driving her herd from northern Texas to the railhead at Dodge City. The branding continued. A chuck wagon was outfitted and stocked for the drive, which would take from a month to six weeks, barring inclement weather and accidents.
Still determined to stop Chloe from putting her life in danger, Desperado began to explore ways to sabotage the trail drive without endangering lives. Though he was on Talbot’s payroll, he didn’t want to see Chloe hurt.
Two days later a gate was found open on a pen holding cows still needing to be branded, and about a hundred head had wandered off. Naturally Chloe was livid. Work had to be stopped while the cattle were rounded up. Three days after that, all the branding irons had mysteriously disappeared and a run had to be made to town to order new ones from the blacksmith. It took two weeks for replacements to be made.
Desperado grew desperate as the target date to begin the trail drive approached. Nothing seemed to faze Chloe. Most women would be a nervous wreck after a series of “accidents” like those she’d had to endure. Desperado’s admiration for the little spitfire grew by leaps and bounds. And it lasted about as long as it took him to remember that Chloe now claimed the land that should have been his. How could he admire a woman spawned by Norie Sommers? It was almost too much to ask. He could desire her. Want her in his bed even, but that didn’t mean he had to like her. But dammit, that was just what was happening.
Liking the various women he’d bedded had never been a priority for Desperado. He took his pleasure where and when he found the time and thought little about the women whose names and faces he forgot soon afterward. However, there was something about Chloe Sommers that caught his fancy. For one thing she wasn’t like those other women he’d bedded. She was strong, vital and independent…and too damn stubborn for her own good.
The days passed with alarming speed. Little by little the cowboys were coming to trust him. Almost losing his life in that burning barn had made him one of them. With the exception of Rowdy, who still had a chip on his shoulder where Desperado was concerned, the young cowhands had come to respect him. Desperado felt guilty for pulling the wool over their eyes and suspected they would hate him as much as Rowdy did when they learned he’d been paid to sabotage the trail drive.
Desperado had never experienced guilt before and it bothered him. Hell, Chloe felt no guilt for taking land that didn’t belong to her, so why should he feel bad about sabotaging her operation?
Desperado heard someone calling his name and waited up for Cory to join him. Desperado liked the young cowboy. He liked Rusty and Duke and Randy the cook, too. Though he knew forming attachments could be dangerous to a gunslinger, he felt a grudging admiration for these hardworking boys. He made a silent vow to do all he could to protect these youngsters from becoming Talbot’s victims. He didn’t consider saving lives a betrayal of his promise to Talbot. In his long career as a hired gunman Desperado had never deliberately taken a life. He’d scared the hell out of a lot of men; he had that down to a science. But actually shooting someone in cold blood wasn’t his style.
“Miss Chloe wants to see you,” Cory said as he sprinted up to join him.
“Do you know what she wants?”
“She didn’t say. You’ll find her in the chuck wagon, checking supplies.”
“Thanks, Cory.”
“We’re branding the last of the cows today,” Cory said in parting. “We sure could use your help if
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